Luxury carmakers woo customers with curated experiences, foreign trips
Earlier in October, Mercedes Benz India treated car owners to a soaring experience over the Sahyadri range in Cessna aircraft at Aamby Valley, near Pune. On a luxury note, the company had not only reserved the runway at Aamby Valley but also organized a watch assembly session with Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC.
“Enthusiasts painstakingly disassembled and then reassembled IWC watches,” shared Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO, Mercedes Benz India. He highlighted recent cross-city dinners they hosted featuring two-Michelin-starred chefs from Milan for Top-of-the-Line Automotive (TEV) clients.
“These customers usually own several Mercedes Benz vehicles. Meeting a man who has nine Mercedes cars was not unusual. They crave curated, unique experiences – ones that are beyond the reach of ordinary money,” Iyer explained.
This attention to TEV customers has its reasons. TEVs, priced at over Rs 1 crore, now account for 25 percent of Mercedes Benz India’s total sales and are showing faster growth than the company’s overall offerings. From January to September this year, TEV sales rose 22 percent, outpacing the 11 percent growth of the brand’s entire lineup. During this period, the company sold 12,768 new cars.
Rival German luxury carmakers Audi and BMW are also courting discerning customers with bespoke experiences. These range from music festivals like BMW’s Joytown to unique chef sessions. Audi, for example, showcases sustainable cooking with chef Prateek Sadhu. They also offer driving experiences in foreign locations, allowing visitors to drift on ice in Finland and Austria, and host events such as the BMW Golf Cup 2023 and the BMW MotoGP.
Talking about the recent launch of the AMG G-63 Grand Edition, Iyer revealed, “We have priced these units at Rs 4 crore, exclusively for existing Mercedes customers. In just six minutes online, they were all booked. Now over 90 customers are on the waiting list.”
Many luxury car buyers are repeat customers. Iyer noted that a significant number are second-generation owners, some in their 30s, who are diving head-first into the super-luxury segment.
Underscoring Audi India’s approach, a spokesperson said, “Our aim is to redefine luxury beyond ordinary cars. We have already held over six specially designed events in the last nine months.” The brand also offers selected car owners a unique ice driving experience in Austria and Finland. Audi India reported 88% growth in sales for the first nine months of 2023, selling 5,530 units, mainly thanks to its SUV range.
Similarly, BMW recorded its highest sales in six months with 5,867 units sold between January and June 2023.